Two pullets died today

[Novicehen]

One of my BR and one of my SG died today within four hours of one another. The BR was lethargic this morning at about 8am and by noon had expired. I went out to assemble my 30 minute OverEZ large coop (which took three and a half hours) and when checked my chicks and one of my SGs was dead. I am confused! There are four others in the brooder. Should I take any precautions to protect the others?

 

[CluckerFamily]

How old are they?

 

[pennyJo1960]

That is good question age can mean everything

 

[nuthatched]

I'm sorry about your losses.
Could they have encountered something toxic? what do they eat?
Which coop did you get? Almost any prefab coop you buy anywhere grossly exaggerate the amount of chickens they fit, take what ever number they say and you can fit about a fourth of that number. Not to mention, security and ventilation is sometimes non existen.

 

[CrazyCochin]

Oh no, this is terrible, age would help, and do they constantly have food/water?
Are they all acting oddly?

 

[Vacman]

That's the same coop I have and it's really well made. While they advertise it for 15 chickens, that's really a stretch, but not if you have a protected run that they can all go out to. It can sleep 15 chickens as long as they can get out. I replaced the the original entrance door with an electric one operated with a photo sensor. I'll bet if you were to assemble another one, it would go a lot quicker. That's a real shame about the deaths. We really need more info...age primarily, but also how hot was it and what about shade protection from the sun? What part of the country are you located in? Are you experiencing any smog from the fires out west? By all means, protect the others, but from what?

 

[Novicehen]

The SG was two weeks old and the BR was three weeks old. The BR was being really weird, lethargic and uninterested in water or food.
They were still in the house in a brooder...new coop for the OGs.
They eat Purina medicated chick feed and I change the water several times a day.

 

[CluckerFamily]

What type of heat source are you using in the brooder?

 

[Novicehen]

What type of heat source are you using in the brooder?

It is a red heating lamp that is clipped to a ladder so I can raise to reduce heat. There is a thermometer hanging from rhe side of my brooder, showing 82 degrees.
I am still very new to raising chickens but I used this set up for all of my other chickens.

Also, I changed the pine shavings today. Nothing odd - still pulling from the same bag that I've been using since bringing these chicks home.

 

[Vacman]

Wow! It sounds like you're doing everything right. Perhaps it was just a fluke. Keep an eye on the other chicks and keep us posted.